The Unwritten Fragments
by iiuerin-chan
Summary: It all started with the chaos in Kirigakure & the mysterious children who were brought to Sunagakure. Their names were Tsuyuri,who later disappeared & Tsuruko,the blindfolded child. In a turn of events, Tsuruko's 1st secret is finally revealed...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:-**

**Hi! Ok…erhemm…This is my first fanfic ever so...be good to me ok? Actually, I intended to make my fanfics into a manga but after 3.5 years of practice, I realized that it took a lot of time and I am not capable of drawing a manga at all...(T-T) So I thought I should turn it into a story before a manga (an idea from my friend. She introduced me to this site). Well, I hope you'll enjoy the story. Comment about what you think about it ok? Any comments acceptable (^v^).  
**

**

* * *

**

**ACT 1 : Prologue**

Kirigakure was quiet that night, as a squad of Sunagakure shinobis ran as silent as possible through the woods after completing their mission – planting bombs around the area where a group of outlaws gather.

After moving quite a distance from the targeted area, the leader of the squad stopped and asked her two crews. "Are the traps laid?"

"Yes, Yumi-dono. The traps are laid and we made sure that there is no way for our targets to escape," replied one of the crew.

"Good."

The leader of the squad was Yumi, one of Sunagakure's special jounin. She was a tall woman with long, flowing, charcoal coloured hair and her fringe was white which covered half of her face. She had a stern look in her eyes and was serious in everything she does. That was why everyone respected her and acknowledged her as captain.

They moved on a little further, waiting for the explosion that was about to take place in ten minutes. As time passed by, the sound of an explosion was heard. The squad turned their heads towards the direction where they placed the bombs and traps but...there was no sign of an explosion at all.

"What!?" Yumi said in surprise. "There's no smoke at all. Are you sure you laid the bombs right, Yamaguchi?"

"Yes, I did Yumi-dono. But...it's not time yet. There's still around four minutes before it blows up," Yamaguchi said in certainty.

"Then what was the sound we heard?"

"Yumi-dono!" her other crew called out. "Look!" he said, pointing towards the centre of the village.

All of them squinted their eyes for a better vision to see what was going on in Kirigakure. As the fog cleared, they saw smoke rising up near the outskirts of the village. There was a house on fire and there were many people surrounding the area.

"So that was the explosion we heard," Yumi thought.

As it was not their business, they continued their mission. One minute before the explosion, a tiny little scream was heard from the village. The squad chose ignored it but the little squeal finally turned into bloodcurdling screams. This time, it was the villagers screaming as if they were holding on to dear life.

Sensing that something was wrong, Yumi went to take a look at the village. However, the thick fog returned and it blurred her vision. All she saw was dim lights of growing fire that was covering the area by the minute. Yumi was still struggling to see what the noise was about until she suddenly felt a tingling sensation on her skin. The next thing she sensed was a weird chakra that was slowly engulfing the whole place. It was full of hate, pain and a strong murderous intent that it made her feel suffocated.

"Wha...what is this weird chakra?" she said, breaking out into a cold sweat.

She was confused about why she felt it...fear. Something terribly wrong was going on in that village and she knows it. They had to get away as soon as possible before they get dragged into Kirigakure's problems as well.

After the minute passed, their bombs exploded.

"Finally! Yamaguchi! Rekyuu! Check the situation over there. Make sure that none of them escaped," Yumi ordered.

"Yes, Yumi-dono!"

Yumi waited for her two crews to report the situation of their targets when another chain of explosions was heard. It was from the village again. This time, almost half of the village was on fire. The fog cleared, as black smoke rose up from the ground and the area was silent as if death had approached the village himself. Then, her crews arrived, reporting that their targets were completely destroyed.

As they already finished their mission, they left the place as quick as possible. While they were passing nearby the area where the chaos broke out in the village, Yumi heard a little whimper. She came to a halt and signaled her crews to stop and stay silent as well.

"Is that a survivor from the explosion in the village?" she thought.

Then the whimper slowly died down and there was dead silence.

"Should I check the situation, Yumi-dono?" Rekyuu asked, noticing the troubled look in his captain's eyes.

Yumi nodded in agreement. Judging by the timing of their mission there and the chaos that broke out in Kirigakure, they may be suspected for attacking the village. If that happened, the truce made between Sunagakure and Kirigakure will be at stake, and it may also cause a war with the bloodshed of many people's lives. Yumi stopped thinking when Rekyuu suddenly called out to her.

"Yumi-dono, look at this!"

Yumi immediately rushed to the spot and saw who was there. It was an unconscious little girl in a burnt and torn red dress. Her pigtails were out of shape and her body was smeared in ashes and blood. Dried tears were seen on her face and Yumi concluded that she was a survivor from all that chaos.

"What are we supposed to do with this little girl, Yumi-dono?" Yamaguchi asked as he waited for an order.

"Bring her back with us," Yumi replied. "We can get the details about the incident that happened earlier. If Kirigakure accuses us of launching an assault, she can be a witness of what happened."

"Yes, Yumi-dono."

Then they went back to Sunagakure bringing the unconscious little girl with them. When they finally arrived, Yumi reported everything that happened during their mission to the Kazekage. The little girl was treated immediately and was left to regain consciousness.

**~oO0Oo~**

A few days passed and she finally awakened. The little girl was terrified to know that she was a survivor from the incident in Kirigakure. When she was questioned about the incident that happened, she refused to answer and just gave a numb look. In fact, she kept isolating herself, not talking and not responding to anyone. She often cried in her sleep, calling out for her mother and murmured a few other names. All they found out was that her name is Tsuyuri.

That was how a new member was brought into Sunagakure. Tsuyuri was allowed to stay in the village with the permission of the Kazekage. It was a huge relief when Kirigakure never thought of accusing Sunagakure for an assault. It was also quite surprising when Tsuyuri was told to remain in the village.

A few months passed and Tsuyuri was better. She goes out more often now and the children would call her in for fun and games. However, she was not outgoing at all and only watched them play.

One fateful day, something happened which turned everything upside down. A few villagers were looking for their children as it was already past their mealtime. When they were passing by an alley, they heard Tsuyuri's cry.

"Stop it!!! Go away!!!"

Thinking that something happened to her, they rushed to make sure that everything was alright. But, what they saw was the other way around. Tsuyuri was with two other children, the children which they were looking for. When they just wanted to ask if they were alright, they suddenly felt a slight tingle on their skin, and sensed the air was filled with chakra as Tsuyuri raised her hand. A strong wind blew and both the children were pushed backwards. Then, an incident occurred that startled everyone. Not only were the children have been pushed back, the chakra filled wind cut them as well. Knowing that Tsuyuri was the cause of all this, the parents of the children immediately stopped her and rescued their children from the sudden attack.

The news of Tsuyuri hurting the two boys was spread throughout the entire village like rapid fire. From that day onwards, other children never wanted to play with her anymore. Everyone evaded her and gave her the same fate like another outcast…Gaara, Sunagakure's monster.

A few days after the incident, Tsuyuri was not seen anymore. Some people said that she ran away, some said she was sent back to Kirigakure and some said she died in the wilderness. But, it still remains a question to the villagers about the mysterious little girl who disappeared as suddenly as she had come. Months passed and everyone eventually forgotten about her.

**~oO0Oo~**

Not too long after Tsuyuri's disappearance, a war broke out between two villages that were under Sunagakure's watch. The Kazekage ordered his shinobis to stop the war but it was too late. The war ended with many people's death and the destruction of one of the involving village. However, amongst the death and destruction, the shinobis managed to find survivors. All of them were children.

The Kazekage took action by executing the people responsible of the war. The survivors, on the other hand, were sent to be taken care of in different areas of the Wind Country. That was when another child was brought into Sunagakure.

As the villagers described the child, he was a weird little boy who covers his eyes with a blindfold. He isolates himself from everyone and often wanders away by himself. The Kazekage allowed him to stay in the mansion under Yumi's watch. Thinking that he was bad news, just like Tsuyuri, the villagers took precautions and made sure that their children were never close to him. However, he seemed to ignore this and finally grew up to be a fine shinobi.

The child's name was Tsuruko.

* * *

**And this part ends… How was it? Well, I hoped you liked it. Comments please…**** Tell me anything!!! (^w^) I just hope I did well and your reviews will help me and cheer me up a lot!!!**


	2. The First Encounter!

**Author's Notes:-**

**Thank you for your reviews!!! It keeps me going on!!! Okay, this part starts from chapter 36 where Team 7 finished their mission and met with the Sand Trio's team. You will see my other ocs in this chapter. Please enjoy (^v^). Remember to comment ok? Anything is ok...and I do not own Naruto!!!**

* * *

**ACT 2 : The First Encounter**

After a mission and an encounter with the Sand Trio's team from the day before, Team 7 had been asked by Kakashi to meet up at the Konohagakure Bridge. As usual, Kakashi is late for the meeting which he called for.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! How can this be allowed!?" Sakura sighed as she started to grow impatient. "Why does Kakashi-sensei always ask us to meet up and then make us wait!!!"

"Yeah! Sakura-chan is right!" Naruto agreed.

"What about the feelings of a young girl who overslept and didn't have time to brush her hair!" Sakura ran her fingers through her not very tangled hair with a combing gesture.

"Yeah! Yeah! I overslept too! So I didn't wash my face or brush my teeth!"

"Eww, Naruto. You're gross," Sakura said in disgust. Naruto just laughed at her comment.

"_That two seem to be full of spirit this early. Sheesh…_" Sasuke thought.

As the two quieted down again, the three of them heard some footsteps not very far away. They saw a boy in the distance walking towards the bridge. He was wearing a thick, black jacket with a red hood and a pair of light blue pants that reached his shin. A white cloth was tied slanted from the right side of his shoulder to the left side of his waist. He also had gold bangles on each of his wrist and his calf was wrapped up with clean bandages. Then, Sasuke noticed that the boy had a head protector tied around his forehead, attached to a white piece of cloth which covered his eyes.

"_Sunagakure's shinobi, eh?_" Sasuke thought, eyeing at that boy and remembering the sand shinobis he had met yesterday.

"This guy also came for the Chuunin exams?" Sakura asked, also noticing the head protector tied around the stranger's forehead.

"I just hope this guy doesn't cause any trouble like the other group did," Naruto folded his arms and eyed at the boy in the distance.

As if noticing he was being watched, the boy faced their direction and stopped walking. The three genins were surprised that the boy seemed like he was able to see through the piece of cloth covering his eyes. Out of the blue, there was someone who was small in size, running towards the direction of the boy. It was a little girl who seemed to be rushing for something and didn't pay any attention to where she was going.

Then something unexpected happened. The three had thought that the boy would be able to avoid something that simple as he was a shinobi himself but...the two collided and they fell to the ground with a loud thump.

"Eh?" Sakura sounded surprised.

"A weakling?" thought Sasuke.

"_He can't even stand still after a collision from a little girl!? This Chuunin exam thing seems to be very easy…_" Naruto smirked.

After the two collided, the little girl started crying as she scraped her knee. The boy stood up, dusted himself and bend towards the crying girl. However, the three were alarmed when they saw that he was putting his left hand into the kunai pouch at his back.

"_Is he going to…_" Naruto thought, remembering the similar incident that happened yesterday.

Having the same thoughts, the three rushed towards the little girl. The boy noticed this and he stopped in his tracks. Naruto immediately gave him a punch when he was at a closer range but the boy dodged to the right and kneeled on one leg.

"What are you doing?!" he asked, sounding alarmed.

Then they saw what the boy was holding in his hand. A small black satchel. He seemed to have taken it out from that very same pouch. Realizing what it was…

"Me…medicine?" Sakura flushed. Naruto and Sasuke hid their embarrassment and just kept silent.

The boy then applied the medicine for the little girl and bandaged her wound a bit. Then, he took out another packet which seemed to be sweets and handed it to the little girl.

"Here. I have no use of this. Just watch where you are going next time," the boy said in a gentle tone. It was just a little too gentle for an outsider and a boy, that the three felt goose bumps on their skin.

"Thank you, oniisan," the girl thanked him, blushing and smiling at the same time, forgetting her pain. "Ermm…this is for you...as a 'thank you'. Mum said I have to be polite to the people who helped me," she said handing a pink flower to the boy. He just took it and the girl continued her journey home, waving goodbye.

"He is the exact opposite from the team that we have seen earlier. Different people sure have different attitudes…even if they are from the same place," Sakura said, breaking the silence among themselves.

"Yeah! Yeah! You're right," Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Ex... excuse me?" the boy called out to them suddenly, covering his mouth in a coughing gesture and facing a different direction. "I lost my way to the Konohagakure Inn and I was wondering if you could tell me how to get there…"

"Well, you just need to follow the river here and you should be able to see…." Sakura stopped, remembering that he doesn't seem to be exactly seeing.

"See what?"

"The inn would be on your left past the hot springs," she continued. Maybe he was seeing alright. She didn't have to care.

"Thank you," he replied, without even giving a simple smile from the start. Talk about being cold. "My name is Tsuruko from Sunagakure. I'm here to join the Chuunin Exams."

"_Funny name, soft voice, weak…is he a…sissy?_" Naruto thought. "Well, I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"I'm Haruno Sakura. Pleased to meet you." When no reply was heard from Sasuke, she gave him a little nudge. "Sasuke-kun…"

"I have no interest in telling him my name at all," was his reply as he turned his back and leaned on the red bridge once more.

Tsuruko who didn't seemed to bother suddenly asked them. "You seem to have misunderstood my actions just now. I guess you must have met Gaara-sama's team before me."

That name seemed to pick a little interest in Sasuke and Naruto but they kept it to themselves.

"Well...sort of," Sakura replied.

"Then I'll be going now," Tsuruko gave a little bow. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you three again. Especially you…" Tsuruko was facing directly at Naruto.

"Me?"

"You seem like an interesting character. Oh…" he said, taking out the pink flower that the girl had given him before and he handed it to Sakura. "This flower…is more suitable for a girl like you. Not me."

Feeling surprised and clueless, Sakura subconsciously received it. "Th..Thank you." Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"H…Hey!" Naruto seemed a little pissed off. No one was supposed to make a move on Sakura before him, especially an outsider.

"I'm very sure that I'll see you all soon. Naruto-san, Sakura-san…..Uchiha…Sasuke".

Feeling shocked that Tsuruko actually now his name, Sasuke turned to look at him when a strong wind blew. At that moment, Tsuruko disappeared.

"_He's fast…_" Sasuke thought. Sakura stared at that flower, blushing while Naruto thinks to himself,"_How dare that guy make a move on Sakura-chan...Grrr….I' m gonna get him one day!_"

After their little meeting with Tsuruko, they waited at the bridge for their sensei. While waiting, they heard more footsteps once again. They look towards the direction of the footsteps and saw two guys who looked anxious.

"_More Suna shinobis?_" Sakura thought. Many of them are sure running around town these few days.

"Excuse me," said a green haired guy. "Do you happen to see someone with a blindfold around here? About this height?" he added, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Recalling the blindfold and the height of the boy they met earlier, Sakura replied, "Tsuruko-san? I think he just went back to the inn."

"Really? That Tsuruko..." said the other guy with light brown hair.

"You guys must be Tsuruko's team-mates. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. A pleasure to meet you," Naruto said, thinking that he could be friendly with them. They are Tsuruko's team-mates after all. They wouldn't be so bad.

However, the two genins eyed at him and the green haired guy rudely said, "I didn't ask for your name...shrimp!"

"Eh?!" That reply seemed to have hit Naruto hard. He wasn't expecting that at all.

"Calm down Masaki-kun," the brown haired guy said to his comrade. "Tsuruko-san can't be that far."

Ignoring Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, they left the place without a thank you or a goodbye.

"That guy..." Naruto said angrily. "How dare he call me a shrimp!!!"

"Maybe it's because you ARE a shrimp," Sasuke said cheekily in a cool tone.

Naruto got fired up and they both started arguing.

"Kakashi-sensei...When are you coming?" Sakura sighed.

Then the two boys stopped arguing and gave each other the silent treatment. Finally Kakashi arrived with a lie, saying that he lost his way. His students know that it was a lie of course. They were not that naive. Then he informed them that they will be joining the Chuunin exams and gave them the forms.

Sasuke was excited, thinking that he will be able to fight more strong people. However, Sakura was not confident and she was thinking whether she should join or not. Naruto, on the other hand, was over imaginative that he thought that he can be Hokage when he finished the exam. When he remembered who he met earlier, he recalled that they would be in the Chuunin exams too.

"_Great! Maybe I can meet him again_ (he meant Tsuruko)_...and that tree..._(he meant Masaki)._ I'm gonna beat the crap out of that tree the next time I see him_." Naruto said silently, feeling excited about the Chuunin exams.

* * *

**Now that is the end of Act 2! So...what do you think about it? This was actually the 4th story I wrote (^v^). The Prologue was the 5th. Weird huh? I usually do things in the wrong order. Just don't know why...Please, review and tell me any part (or parts) which I need to improve. Hope that you'll look forward to the next chapter!!! Mata ne!!!  
**

* * *


	3. The First Test Begins!

**Author's Notes:-**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! (**_Tamashi Aisuto: Thank you for your reviews. It cheered me up a lot!_**) This is the part when the first test begins. I hope that you will bear with me awhile because I have to explain the situation so that readers would not get confused. Any reviews are acceptable. Just tell me what you think about it ok? **(I noticed many people don't really like reading this chapter, so I put my ideas in **bold**. You can get rough idea by reading that but...reading the whole thing is better.)**  
**

**

* * *

**

**ACT 3 : The First Test Begins!!!**

**Yuichi glanced at the map that he held in his hand and ran his fingers through his golden, brown hair that was being blown by the wind. "Konoha Academy, I guess we arrived," he confirmed.**

**"Finally, I'm getting pumped up!" Masaki smiled and clenched his fists with excitement. "The exam's starting soon. I wonder how is it like."**

**Tsuruko was silent. Neither showing any anxiousness or excitement. He just quietly walked ahead of them towards the front door of the academy, ignoring their little conversation.**

**~oO0Oo~**

**The team calmly made their way to the examination hall. When they arrived, they were surprised to see so many candidates.**

**"It seems that we were the last Suna genins to arrive," Yuichi noticed. There were already nine Suna teams there, including the well known Sand Trio.**

**"We were not that late anyway. It hasn't even started." Masaki had always been a happy-go-lucky person. He wouldn't mind even if he was a little late.**

**Tsuruko, on the other hand, do not seem surprised at all. He just walked towards the crowd to look for a seat. As there were not any more chairs left unoccupied, they stood and waited at one end of the hall.**

**Time passed by and they heard more candidates entering the hall. Not long after that, they heard someone shouting.**

**"I'M UZUMAKI NARUTO AND I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE TO ANY OF YOU!!! YOU GOT THAT?!!!"**

**The noisy room suddenly turned silent. Everyone has turned their heads to look at the little guy who seemed happy to have said it out loud.**

**"Who is that blockhead, shouting something like that?!" Masaki said feeling annoyed.**

**"They made it here."**

**Masaki and Yuichi were surprised to hear Tsuruko saying something for the first time of the day. They thought he was nervous. Come to think of it, probably not...**

**"Masaki-san, Yuichi-san, I think we should move a little further inside," the brown haired boy said. "Someone's up to something."**

The team moved on a little further in and continued their wait. As Tsuruko had expected, a fight broke out between the Otonins and Kabuto. Unexpectedly, Kabuto was injured by Dosu, one of the Otonins, even after dodging his attack. Before the fight could continue any further, a cloud of smoke appeared in front of the hall and someone said out loud, "THAT'S ENOUGH YOU WORTHLESS PIECES OF TRASH!!!"

A group of high ranked shinobis were revealed as the smoke cleared. Everyone quieted down upon their arrival. Then a man who had scars all over his face, voiced out.

"Thanks for waiting. I'm Morino Ibiki, the examiner for the Chuunin exams first test." He pointed a finger towards the Otonins. "Stop doing as you please. Do you want to fail before the exam even started?" he warned them.

"My apologies. It's our first time…So we got a bit carried away," Dosu replied, sarcastically.

"Hmphh …I'll take this opportunity to say this. No fighting is permitted without the permission of the examiner. Even if permission is granted, killing your opponent will not be tolerated." Ibiki added. "Those that disobey me will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

The look in his eyes had proven that he was serious and somehow dangerous. No one dared to talk back at him.

"We will start the first test now. Instead of your current seating arrangements, you will pick one of these tabs and sit in the seat assigned to you," he explained, holding out a tab as an example.

Everyone started feeling excited when it was announced that the Chuunin exams were beginning. Wondering what the test actually was, the next statement that the examiner said gave a little surprise to everyone.

"We will then hand out the test papers."

But the most surprised one was obviously Naruto.

"WHAT???!!! THERE'S A WRITING TEST???!!!" Naruto didn't believe what he had heard. He was bad…VERY bad at writing tests.

But the fact is still a fact. It was a writing test. Everyone picked a tab and was separated from their team-mates. After everyone was seated, the examiner walked towards a blackboard and explained the rules about the exam.

Rule #1

Candidates start off with 10 points. The test consists of 10 questions each carrying a point. One point is subtracted from your total for each question answered incorrectly.

Rule #2

The test is a team event. This means the passing is determined by combining each team's total score.

Rule #3

Those caught cheating will lose 2 points for each offence.

Rule #4

Those that lose all their points in the exam through cheating or failing in answering any questions correctly will be failed along with their team-mates.

The rules really caused a lot of pressure on the candidates. Some were afraid that they will be dragged down by their team-mates. And some were afraid to drag down their team-mates. Besides, there were so many other shinobis who were in charge to keep an eye on the students; just incase they cheated or even tried cheating.

"Realize that the pathetic ones caught cheating will be destroying themselves. As shinobis who wants to achieve the level of a Chuunin, be proud ninjas," the examiner added. "The exams will last one hour. Begin!!!"

**~oO0Oo~**

The questions were tough. Almost everyone was not able to answer the questions. Naruto started freaking out by the thought of cheating in the exam. Although Sakura was able to answer the questions, Sasuke had no clue on how to do it either. Thinking back about what the Ibiki had said, a thought struck his head and he finally came to a conclusion.

"_I see, so that's it. This is not a test to measure our intelligence. Hurry up and realize it Naruto! It could cost you everything_," Sasuke thought, hoping that Naruto realized something. "_Because this is also…a test to see how well we are in gathering information. Notice this Naruto! The smart guys must be moving by now_."

Indeed, what Sasuke said was true. Most of the genins had already started gathering answers.

**Yuichi, Masaki and Tsuruko noticed this as well. Yuichi made his move and looked around to search for a target. Then he saw a guy rubbing his eyes not very far away. "_Chance!_" At that opportunity, he changed the shape of his metal bracelet. It was a special ability that runs in his family, shaping metals. Half of the metal was silently and swiftly tossed towards the direction of his target. It wrapped around the guy's pencil and camouflaged itself while the other half enveloped his own pencil. Yuichi did a handseal, "_Mimicry Mirage Jutsu_." The guy stopped rubbing his eyes and continued his test. Every time his pencil moves, Yuichi's pencil moves in the same motion as well. "_Hmpph...Success!" _Yuichi smiled.**

**Tsuruko peeped through the white cloth that covered his eyes. A paper test? It was a tough time just for him to look at the questions. After all, he was blindfolded and was determined not to remove it. Well, it did not completely cover his eyes anyway. Thank God for that! When Tsuruko finally read the paper with much difficulty, he murmured in disappointment, "_I…don't think I'll need to gather any answers…I can do this…_" So, he just answered the questions slowly and steadily. Then a thought struck his head. "_Masaki-san, I don't think he knows how to gather information at all. I wonder if he'll be alright…_"**

**Actually, Masaki IS facing a problem. He had no idea on how to gather any information at all! "_This is bad!!! I'm toast!!!" _he thought._ "If I fail them, Yuichi is going to kill me and who knows what Tsuruko will do!!! Arghhh!!!" _He rubbed his head hard as though he was trying to squeeze something out of it. _"I shouldn't have rejected Yuichi's help just now_…" Masaki regretted. Yuichi's metal bracelet tapped him on the wrist, asking if he needed any help just a moment ago. Being so proud of himself, he simply rejected it. And now, he recalled that he do not really know how to gather information at all! _"WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!!!" _Suddenly, Masaki caught a glimpse of the mirrors hanging at the ceiling. He could see another candidate's answers clearly. Then, he realized it was Ten Ten trying to help Lee out with the test. Lee was sitting just right beside him too! _"Well, taking advantage of the enemy's carelessness is the way of a shinobi too…I guess…" _Even if it was a pathetic way to cheat, Masaki copied the answers anyway. He didn't have much of a choice.**

**~oO0Oo~**

**"Okay! And now we will begin the tenth question!!!" Ibiki said, as soon as Masaki finished writing.**

**"I'm glad I made it in time…" Masaki sighed in relief.**

**"Now…Before we get to it, I would like to explain a few more rules before giving you the question. These are the rules of desperation that I will now explain."**

**"_What!? More rules?!_" Yuichi thought. "_The tenth question doesn't sound like it has the same objective as the others. What is he expecting now?_"**

**"_Doesn't matter if I could answer it or not. I should have enough points to pass already,_" Masaki said to himself.**

**"_This might be a hard one…_" Tsuruko figured.**

"First, you have to choose whether you want to answer the tenth question or not."

Temari thought that it was a ridiculous thing to ask and she lost her temper. "Choose?! What happens if we choose not to?!" she shouted.

Ibiki closed his eyes; he did not seem shocked to hear a candidate raising her voice to the examiner. His eyes then turned into a cold and cruel stare. "If you choose not to, then your current points will be reduced to zero. So, you'll fail along with your two team-mates."

Everyone became angry to hear that and started to shout out in disagreement. However, the examiner was not shaken at all and continued explaining the rules. "The next rule is…if you choose to take it and answered it incorrectly, you will lose the rights to ever take the Chuunin exams again."

That rule just crossed the boundary and Kiba shouted, "WHAT KIND OF STUPID RULE IS THAT?! THERE ARE GUYS HERE WHO HAS TAKEN THE EXAM BEFORE!"

Ibiki broke out into a laugh as if what Kiba said was a joke. "You guys are unlucky…This year, it's my rules…" he said coldly. "But I'm giving you a way out. Those who aren't confident can choose not to take it and try again next year!" he mocked. "Now…let's begin the tenth question…"

The hall was silent and everyone was under pressure. Afraid to fail their team-mates and afraid to be forever a genin. Then Ibiki's voice broke the silence. "Those that choose not to take it, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave."

After another moment of silence, someone raised his hand. After he and his team left the hall, more people raised their hands and quit. Soon, the hall was filled with echoes of people swearing, cursing and apologizing. Naruto was still pondering. Sakura looked at him from afar and thought about the times when Naruto was happy to be a ninja. With a weak smile on her face, she said silently, "You're always acting like a fool who only knows one thing Naruto…Hokage…Hokage…I'm sorry Naruto…" Sakura was about to take the initiative to quit. "That impossible dream of yours…I don't want to see it crushed."

Before she even raised her hand, she was shocked to see Naruto already raising his.

"Naruto?!" Sakura thought.

**"Naruto-san? This can't be the stubborn guy I saw the other day…" Tsuruko sighed.**

Everyone thought that he was going to quit but instead, Naruto slammed his hand on the table with full force and shouted out loud in anger, "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!!! I WILL NOT RUN!!! I'LL TAKE IT!!!" Everyone was surprised to hear his bold reply and turned their attention to what he has to say. "I'M NOT AFRAID!!! EVEN IF I WILL BE A GENIN FOR LIFE, I'LL STILL WORK HARD TO BE THE HOKAGE ANYWAY!!! SO I DON'T CARE!!!" After his little speech, Naruto sat on his chair and huffed.

Even Ibiki was surprised this time. "I'll ask you again. Your life is riding on this decision. This is your last chance to quit," he said, trying to shake their confidence once more.

"I follow my words. That is my Nindo."

Everyone became more confident after hearing Naruto's reply. Their worries were washed away. Each and every one of them was determined to answer the tenth question. That was how a shinobi should be, believing in themselves.

The examiner was quiet for awhile. Suddenly, he smiled. "Good decisions. Now…to everyone still remaining…" Everyone prepared themselves for the last question and some of them held their breath. "I congratulate you on passing the first test!!!"

All the candidates were surprised to hear that sudden announcement and were confused.

"Wait…What do you mean? We already passed? What about the tenth question?" Sakura asked.

"There never was such a thing. Maybe you could say that those two choices were the tenth question."

"Huh?"

"Hey! Then what were the first nine questions for?!" Temari said feeling annoyed. "They were pointless then!!!"

"They were not pointless…They have already served their intended purpose…To test your individual gathering information ability!"

"Gathering information?"

"First, as the rules explained…Success on this test is based on the whole team doing well. This puts pressure on each member to not mess things up for their team-mates. But the questions in the tests were not the types that a mere Genin could answer," the examiner explained, in a friendlier way this time. "Because of that, I'm sure most of you came to the same conclusion that to score points…'I'll have to cheat'. So basically, the premise of this test is to cheat."

"_EH???!!! I had no idea!!!_" Naruto thought and then laughed. "Hahaha!!! I saw right through that! You'll have to be an idiot to not notice that!" he added, trying to hide his shame. Though it was quite obvious…

"Those who cheat poorly fail of course…" Ibiki continued as he removed his head wrap. "Because…in times, information is more important than life. On missions and the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it…"

Once his head wrap was removed, the sight of his bald head startled everyone. There were scars, drill holes and burn marks all over his head. Not to mention the cuts on his face. Those were signs of torture.

After all the explaining, Temari was still clueless the about the purpose of the last question. The examiner just explained a little bit more and gave an example about a Chuunin with only two choices; to take or not to take a dangerous mission.

"Can the Chuunin avoid the dangerous mission? ...NO!!!" he said. "No matter what the danger, there are missions you can't avoid. The ability to be courageous and survive any hardship…This is the ability needed to become a Chuunin captain!!!"

The room was silent and they began to understand the true meaning of this test and…what qualities a Chuunin should have.

"Those who can't put their destinies on the line…who clings to the uncertain future of 'There's always next year' and walk away from their chance…Those pieces of trash who makes such cowardly choices don't have the right to become a Chuunin!!! That's how I feel….But to those that answered correctly…" Ibiki said looking at Naruto. "You will be able to survive any troubles you face in the future. You have made it through the first test of the Chuunin exams. I wish you guys good luck."

Naruto jumped up from his seat and said happily, "YEAH!!! WISH US LUCK!!!"

As soon as he said that, the windows crashed. Someone wrapped in a black cloth had jumped through it. The hall became noisy with people crying out in surprise and pieces of glass shattering on the floor. When the cloth was spread out, a woman jumped out with much enthusiasm and shouted, "YOU GUYS! THERE IS NO TIME TO BE CELEBRATING! I AM MITARASHI ANKO. YOUR PROCTOR FOR THE SECOND TEST! NOW, COME FOLLOW ME!!!"

Everyone was too surprised to speak and the second examiner was a little embarrassed as she did not get the reaction she had wanted. When she estimated the total amount of candidates who passed the first test, she became furious. There were more candidates than she had expected.

"Ibiki! You left twenty-nine teams?!!!" she said. "Bah! That's fine…I'll at least cut half of them in the second exam."

"_Cut us at least in half!?_" Sakura was scared at the sound of that. It must be a really though one. The bloodthirsty look on Anko's face was more than enough to intimidate her.

**"Ahhh…I'm getting excited. I'll explain everything once we've changed locations…Follow me."**

**Everyone did as they were told. They were brought to a place where there was a thick, dark forest which was fenced in a huge circle.**

**"I guess this would be a survival test," Masaki said, pushing back a few strands of hair that was stuck to his forehead. "This could be fun."**

**"This is not the ordinary survival games you play in Sunagakure, Masaki-kun. Don't forget that this is an exam," Yuichi said, teasing his friend.**

**"I knew that!!!"**

**"The atmosphere is different behind the fence than what you see out here," Tsuruko told them. "The smell of danger is in the air…We have to be careful in the second test guys."**

**After their short conversation, Anko turned to look at the teams. "Welcome to the fourth stage for the second test," she said with a smile. "Practice arena 44. Also known as…'_The Forest of Death…'__"_**

**_

* * *

_**

_**Now, that's the end of Act 3! I'm very sorry that the story is a little dull here but I can PROMISE that the story gets better. Be patient ok?  
**_

_**I was thinking maybe I should skip the part where Orochimaru (in disguise) and Anko had their little conversation to the part where the rules were explained. Suggestions accepted. What do you think about this story at this point? Please review! (Cheer me up a little more...)**_


	4. An Unexpected Encounter In The Forest

**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry for the late update. I've been busy with my homework and my exams are coming up. I would like to thank every single one of you who reviewed my work. You really cheered me up a lot!!! (^v^) Well, review this story too ok? Please enjoy.  
**

**

* * *

**

**ACT 4 : AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER IN THE FOREST OF DEATH**

The wind ruffled the trees and the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves were heard during their brief silence. Some candidates broke out into a cold sweat just by hearing the area's name. Not to mention noticing the unusual silence of the forest.

"These are agreement papers which you'll need to sign first," Anko said, holding up a stack of printed papers in her hand.

"Agreement papers? Why?"

"Well, it's just because that you may die here. So, I have to get your agreement first of course," the proctor replied with a smile. "Let me explain the rules…"

"Die?" Yuichi gulped. "_Forest of Death huh? I wonder what's in there that can cause someone to die_."

"After you sign the papers, you will submit them to the stands over there," Anko pointed and turned to look at the candidates. "In a simple way, I just want to test your survival abilities."

"_I knew it!_" Masaki smirked.

"This is Practice Arena 44 which is surrounded by forty-four locked gates. In this area, there are rivers, thick trees and a tower in the centre which is 10km from the circumference. You'll need to survive in this secluded place using your own techniques and reach that tower," Anko said with a sinister smile. "You could also use any ways to grab the scrolls."

"Scrolls?"

"Yes! You must grab these scrolls. 'The Earth Scroll' and the 'Sky Scroll," she said, holding out two scrolls with kanji writing on it. "There are eighty-seven candidates, so there are twenty-nine teams. Since there are odd numbers, fourteen teams will be taking the 'Sky Scroll' and the other thirteen teams will be taking the 'Earth Scroll'."

"Isn't that a little unfair?" Tsuruko asked, crossing his arms. "The ones holding the Earth Scroll will have the higher percentage of passing."

"Very true but that just depends on luck, kid," Anko replied monotonously. "Even if you got yourself a set of scrolls, there will be a time limit of five days to reach the tower."

Everyone became anxious. _What will they eat? What if some animal attack while they are asleep? _They thought to themselves. Now, this is a test of the survival of the fittest. The stronger and smarter ones will win.

"Let me tell you the situations that will cause you to fail," Anko brushed her hair back. "First, if a team doesn't present a set of scrolls within the given time. Secondly, if a team-mate dies or cannot go on," she explained. "Also, once you enter the arena, there will be no turning back. Last but not least, you are not allowed to see the contents of the scrolls."

"What if we did?" Naruto asked curiously.

"You could try," the proctor said with a chuckle. "You will have the opportunity to handle secret documents when you become a Chuunin. We want to see if you could be trusted."

"Okay…" Masaki thought. "_Her tone sounds a little suspicious though…_"

"You will be handing in three agreement papers a team in exchange for one random scroll. Then, choose a gate and enter it when the time comes. Another thing is…," Anko's look suddenly became considerate for a moment. "Don't die in there okay?"

After the briefing, everyone exchanged their agreement papers for a scroll. No one knows who got what, so it will be a little though to find a correct match. Tsuruko, Masaki and Yuichi exchanged their papers for a scroll too and chose to wait at Gate Nine.

Tsuruko wiped a bead of sweat that was trickling down his face. He understood what this test meant and he did not feel good about it. "Masaki-san, Yuichi-san. This isn't going to be easy. Be on guard at all times," he told his two comrades.

"Yes, I know," the green haired boy nodded. He too understood what all this meant.

Yuichi turned to face the forest beyond the gate. He can't see anything more but a few trees and then it was all darkness. "Everyone here is our enemy…" he said finally.

Anko looked at her watch as the hands slowly ticked. She silently counted, "_5…4…3…2…1_…"

"THE SECOND TEST FOR THE CHUUNIN EXAMS….BEGINS NOW!!!" she exclaimed as the final second ticked away.

**~oO0Oo~**

The branches creaked and the leaves rustled as Kiba's team jumped from tree to tree towards the direction of the tower swiftly. Kiba took the lead while Hinata and Shino followed behind him. They had just got their set of scrolls and were heading towards the tower with the hope of being first there. After quite a distance, Kiba caught a whiff of strange scent and stopped in his tracks. "Wait! Stop!" he ordered.

Hinata and Shino stopped, feeling puzzled. "Hinata, can you take a look of what's going on, 1km from here?" the hooded boy asked.

"I'll try…" Hinata replied softly. "_Biyakugan!_"

After a few moments, Hinata reported what she had seen. "There seems to be some people preparing for a battle there."

"Should be around six of them," Shino figured as he pressed his ear against the ground.

Hearing this, Kiba got greedy and suggested that they would take other team's scrolls as well. After all, there were no rules which mentioned that they were not allowed to.

"Let's go!" Kiba said as he took off. Hinata and Shino sighed but they followed him anyway. They are a team after all.

As they approached near the area where the people were, they silently hid behind the bushes so that they can watch silently. However, before they could even take a peek, Akamaru started trembling.

"Akamaru!? Are you okay?" Kiba whispered. He petted the white dog gently to calm it down. "_Something isn't right…_"

A few moments passed and Akamaru calmed down a bit. The three genins then peeked between the leaves to see what was going on. They recognized who the six people were. It was the Sand Trio and Tsuruko's team…

**~oO0Oo~**

There was pin-drop silence between the two teams. "_Are they going to battle even if they were from the same village?_" Kiba thought. It would be an awkward moment to see two teams from the same village battling or killing each other for an unknown scroll. Right?

"I never thought that we'll be fated to meet in this forest," Tsuruko broke the silence.

Masaki and Yuichi were shocked and have fear written all over their faces when Tsuruko spoke up. No one ever dared to talk to Gaara. They knew what the red head can and will do if they were not careful.

However, Gaara remained silent as his hair swayed with the slight breeze. On the other hand, Kankurou and Temari were feeling uneasy about the situation.

"_Unlucky timing…_" Kankurou thought.

It was a very bad time to meet Gaara in the forest during the test, especially when the test has a rule which says you can kill your opponent. Kankurou and Temari would never want to fight Tsuruko, who already seemed like a part of the family. He had been living with them in the same mansion since he was brought to Sunagakure at the age of seven. But, Gaara will never bother about anything like that. He would kill anyone…even if they were blood related.

Temari mustered her courage to voice out and tried to convince Gaara. "Ermm…we are from the same village anyway. I don't think we need to fight…right...Gaara?" she said with a trembling voice.

The red head never paid any attention to his sister's plea and remained silent, eyeing at the other team.

"Temari-sama, in the Chuunin exams, everyone is an enemy despite where they are from…" Tsuruko said boldly and faced directly at the bloodthirsty Gaara. "I'm ready to fight you anytime."

Kankuro and Temari were shocked to hear his reply. There they were, worrying about him and yet he replied as if he wants to fight…actually, be killed. But the one who was shocked most was of course, Yuichi and Masaki. They were not prepared to die or fight Gaara at all!

"Have you lost your mind!?" Masaki whispered in shouting manner and shook the brown haired boy's shoulder.

"You know we can't beat them!" Yuichi added.

Ignoring their complaints, Tsuruko brushed Masaki's hand aside. He put a hand in his back pouch and wrapped his fingers around the scroll.

"If there was a need for us to fight, I would but…" He took out the scroll and showed them. "It seems that a fight between us will not be meaningful as we have the same scroll, right?"

Temari and Kankurou were surprised to hear that Tsuruko knew what scroll they had in hand and yet they were a little relieved.

"We have the Earth scroll too," Kankurou said, holding out his team's scroll.

Temari gave an awkward smile. "Then there's no need for us to fight, isn't it?"

Gaara seemed to hold back a little but his murderous intent still hung in the air. He was still as silent as a statue, and this time, he was glaring at Tsuruko. Which means it is not a very good sign. Sensing the situation…

"Another team seems to be coming this way. You can have them," Tsuruko said in a cool tone. "Let's go."

In just a split second, Tsuruko's team disappeared from sight and dust arose from where they stood earlier. Temari and Kankurou felt as if a huge burden was lifted off their shoulders when the team left.

Temari sighed in relief, putting a hand on her chest, "_I thought Gaara would…_"

"_That lucky bunch…_" Kankurou thought.

Soon after the team left, true enough a genin team from Amegakure arrived at the scene. Then a bloody battle began, with Kiba's team witnessing something unpredictable and gruesome.

**oO0Oo~**

The three escapees landed with a soft thump behind a huge tree after fleeing quite a distance from the Sand Trio. Masaki's and Yuichi's heart were still beating rapidly furiously after their sudden encounter with the monster of the dessert. They breathed heavily and practically gasped for air to repay their oxygen debt after the long run.

"Are you crazy, Tsuruko-san!? We could have died with you talking big over there!!!" Masaki uttered after regaining his strength. He was furious as their lives were hanging by a thread just because of Tsuruko's foolishness.

Yuichi gnashed his teeth in anger and thought about the situation just now. Tsuruko was indeed foolish to speak up to Gaara like that. What if there weren't any other teams that were around the area? What if they were really killed? Didn't he think about the consequences?

However, Tsuruko seemed to see it in a different way. "If we all talked small of ourselves and beg for mercy do you think we'll still be here?!" he said, raising his voice for the first time.

Masaki and Yuichi were shocked to hear his tone. They never heard Tsuruko raise his voice before. He must be very angry somehow, even if they do not understand why. There was a moment of silence and Tsuruko let out a sigh.

"Gaara-sama would have just killed us back there if we show that we're weak. He'll just finish us off quickly to get to the other team which may be worth an opponent!" the boy explained.

The other two were struck with realization when they heard this. Maybe he was right…Come to think of it; they would **DEFINITELY **be killed if they were to beg for Gaara's mercy. As they can recall, every single person who did that no longer existed.

They fell silent after Tsuruko's little lecture. The wind blew gentle whispers in their ears and the sound of the forest calmed them down.

Tsuruko sighed again. "The important key is survival. If we can't fight our way out of it, we talk our way out of it. If neither works…," he added, brushing his messy hair back and turned away from them. "…we run away. That's survival."

"We understand," the other two said together.

"Let's go."

And they left the place in a blink of an eye with dust whirling on the spot where they once stood.

* * *

**The end for Act 4!!! How was it? I learned many new words after doing this chapter. I hope it is a good one. I'm sure it is better than the one before though. Well, wait till you see the next part! One of my favourite ideas for my story. (^v^)**

**Sneak Peak: Tsuruko's first secret...**


	5. Ambush

**I'm very very sorry for the late chapter guys...Honto ni gomensai! I've been busy with school exams, two driving tests, tuition exams and I got grounded! (T-T) Then I got writer's block...Well, here is the next chapter. Hope this will be more enjoyable than the past one. Tsuruko's first secret revealed as promised. Please enjoy and review ok? (^v^)**

**

* * *

**

The animals in the forest stopped their little chatter and turned their ears towards the unusual noise that was coming their way. "_People? In the forest?_" their little black eyes seem to say. As the noise got closer, some of them scurried into their burrows and flee while the others remained in the shadows to catch a glimpse of the intruders.

The three genins brushed the leaves aside and avoided every single branch that blocked their way as they swiftly move through the thickening forest. Yuichi took the lead this time with Masaki and Tsuruko following behind him like shadows. It have been two days since their encounter with the Sand Trio and they never came across any other teams after that. Yuichi began to worry with the thought that other candidates have already made it to the tower, which simply means that they were left behind.

"_It was all Tsuruko's fault that we ended up making a huge circle. We lost forty-eight hours of our precious time_!" Yuichi huffed.

After their first and last encounter, they have been frantically searching for opponents to get their set of scrolls and complete the test quickly. However, their search was in vain. They never saw nor sensed anyone who was around that part of the forest. Feeling a little tired after a long day, they finally came to a stop at a river. There, they rested and had their meal until Tsuruko lead the team for their second 'hunting' session.

The first and second day flew pass but still, they encountered no one. Around noon on the third day, Tsuruko suddenly came to a halt. He akwardly turned back to face is team-mates and murmured a few words.

"I'm...sorry..." they heard him say.

"Huh?"

Tsuruko remained silent and slowly pointed towards the front as he hung his head in embarrassment. The sounds that they were oblivious to became clearer by the second and they heard the familiar sounds of running water.

"_It can't be..._" Yuichi hoped that his prediction was not true. "_Tsuruko...you..._"

"We're back to river?!!!" Masaki shouted in dismay.

Tsuruko had unintentionally lead the team in a huge circle and finally ending up back to square one. That was when Yuichi took the lead.

After the little flashback, he sighed. "_It wasn't the first time that it happened anyway. We were just careless to let such a thought slip our minds..._"

Suddenly, Yuichi saw something that glimmered under the faint sunlight. Noticing that it was something unusual in a dark forest, he signaled his two partners to stop. They came to a halt and were a little puzzled by the sudden command.

"What is it?" Masaki whispered as he looked around for any signs of an enemy. There was nothing but the sound of leaves brushing against each other and the little breeze that cooled his sweaty face.

Yuichi did not answer his comrade's question immediately. Instead, he looked cautiously around with his keen eyes. Then he squatted and looked again until he finally shifted his focus onto something invisible right in front of Masaki's foot.

"Trap," he said plainly. "Be careful Masaki-kun. It's right in front of your foot."

"Eh?" The green haired teenager took a step backwards and looked everywhere for the trap. After a brief moment, "I…don't see anything," he uttered.

"Look closely…" Tsuruko said. He too could sense that there was a trap there but he was also sure that it was not their only problem. "There are many more ahead of us too," he added as he faced towards the empty route in front of them.

Realizing that he was the odd one out, Masaki pouted like a kid and said shamefully, "I knew that." He squinted his eyes and looked harder. Finally, he saw it. "_No way!_"

There were thin metal threads everywhere that were tied to the trees. Not to mention the exploding tags that was hidden at every end of the thread! The three sighed with relief. A simple mistake of falling into the trap would mean being sliced to shreds or blasted into smithereens. If Yuichi hadn't noticed it, they will definitely fall into an enemy's deadly trap.

"Activating one will activate the rest. I guess we'll have to go around it," Yuichi said rubbing his aching neck. "_It's going to be an__other tiring day.._."

Upon saying that, they left the spot and headed east, away from the traps.

**~oO0Oo~**

The wind blew strongly in their faces as they traveled hurriedly through the forest. Tsuruko held on to the white piece of cloth that covered his eyes as the wind threatened to blow it back. Suddenly, the presence of chakra filled with a murderous intent tingled on his skin. It was heading towards their way! Realizing the danger, he quickly warned his two other team-mates.

"Look out!" he cried as he jumped.

Upon hearing the warning, Masaki and Yuichi jumped as high as possible, dodging a stream of water that was blasted towards them with a water jutsu. Focusing his chakra at the bottom of his feet, Tsuruko landed vertically on a huge tree trunk. Masaki grabbed a branch from the same tree, holding his weapon's belt to prevent it from falling due to the inertia while Yuichi landed with a loud thump and creak on another branch.

When the water finally dispersed, Tsuruko looked up towards the direction of the ambush. "I guess we're not the only ones that have not completed the test," he said with a tone of pleasure.

"Cheh, they noticed…" they heard a gruff voice say.

Their attacker and two other figures leaped from the shadow of a tree nearby and they landed onto the muddy ground. The Suna genins were stunned to see the size of their opponents. They looked like rodents compared to them.

After a brief moment, one of the them, which may be the leader, slowly stood on his big feet and looked at Tsuruko with a glint in his eye. He had spiky dark blue hair and he tied his headband slantly that it covered his left ear. His huge, tall, well-built body and the look in his eyes makes one feel inferior when looked at.

Masaki's eye twitched a little at the sight of the 'giants'. "_What did they eat that made them so huge!?_" he thought. He then noticed their headbands. "_Kirigakure shinobis, eh?_"

The trio jumped off the tree and landed onto the ground to face their opponents. Although they were still shocked and furious from the ambush, they were also quite relieved that they were not the only ones left behind. There was a shimmer of hope that they will be able to get a set of scrolls but, their main problem now is..._What scroll do their opponents have?_

The two parties were silent and they glared at each other.

"Don't worry boys. We won't hurt you," the tall guy said in a mocking tone, breaking the silence. "Just hand over the scroll." He smiled arrogantly.

Masaki's face turned red with anger and he clenched his fists. He did not like being treated as a wimp. "Why don't YOU hand over the scrolls and WE won't hurt YOU!" he shouted.

Tsuruko quickly motioned his hand as a sign for him to stop and Masaki quieted down, his brows still furrowed. The brown haired boy then reached for the scroll in his back pouch and he held it tightly in his hand.

"Kirigakure shinobis....You can have the scroll." he finally said, handing out the 'Earth' scroll.

Masaki and Yuichi stared at him in shock. Tsuruko can't be serious. They can't be giving up after all the hard work they did for the past two days.

"_Maybe he has a plan," _they thought. Tsuruko was the type who can weasel out of situations like this. He did it the last time. Maybe he was just doing it again. At that thought, both of them remained silent and anticipated to see what was about to happen.

"Smart decision, kid."

The blue haired guy took a few steps forward to retrieve the scroll. "_This is easier than stealing candies from a baby. Their such wimps...Hehehe_," he chuckled.

As soon as the scroll was within his reach, he was surprised when Tsuruko retreated it. Masaki and Yuichi were relieved and their confidence returned.

"Well, that's only IF...you could grab the scroll..." Tsuruko kept the scroll back into his pouch. "...from a kid like me."

"Why you little...!"

At that spur of moment, Tsuruko threw a smoke bomb to blur their vision and the Suna genins disappeared.

"Wh...Where are they?!"

The Kiri nins frantically looked around for any signs of their enemy in the haze. They would not want to take any risks of losing no doubt their opponents were small. Suddenly, a scream was heard, followed by a loud thump and cracking tree trunks. It seems that one of the Kiri nins has been taken down. One down, two to go...

Yuichi was lurking around a tree until he saw one of his 'prey' trying to hide behind a bush. He took out his metal rod, extended it and then he jumped silently to strike his opponent. The haze was dispersing and the Kiri nin saw through Yuichi's move. He quickly took out a kunai without much hesitation and managed to avoid the blow.

Their hands shook as they struggled against each other's strength. However, in the midst of the struggle, Yuichi gave a little smirk. He released a hand from the rod and swiftly did a handseal.

"_Metal Vine Jutsu!_"

Suddenly, the metal rod bend and coiled around the frightened Kiri nin. It binded him, locking all his movements. Desperate to escape, he struggled to free himself but the rod squeezed him even tighter that the sound of cracking bones were heard.

"WAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" the shinobi screamed in pain and he fainted.

The smoke was completely gone that time and the leader panicked at the sight of his comrades. One of them was lying unconcious on the ground with a metal rod coiled around him while the other was pinned to a tree with a boomerang. He saw Masaki and Yuichi there, eyeing at him.

Without much thought, he ran towards their direction with an attempt to save his team-mates. He can deal with those small fries himself! However, Tsuruko suddenly appeared in front of him.

His hair and clothes fluttered with the wind. "Your opponent is me," he said with a cold voice.

The guy jumped back in shock. He swiftly did a handseal without hesitating and took in a deep breath, focusing all his chakra in his mouth.

"_Water Blast Jutsu!_"

A stream of water came out from his mouth and Tsuruko did not have the time to dodge at that distance.

"Tsuruko-san!" Masaki cried.

"_A direct hit!_" Yuichi bit his lip.

After the Kiri nin ended his jutsu, he opened his eyes, expecting to see Tsuruko defeated and the frightened look on Masaki's and Yuichi's faces. Instead of smiling with pleasure, his eyes widened with shock and terror.

"_Impossible..._"

The water that he released all gathered in front of Tsuruko, moving in a shape of an irregular sphere. Not even a single drop of water touched him. The sight of that surprised Yuichi and Masaki even more. They never witnessed anything like that before. What more if it was their team-mate who had been with them for almost two years?

"Wh...who are you actually," the Kiri nin's voice trembled.

Tsuruko ignored the question and he did a handseal. "It's my turn now..."

The air around Tsuruko became dense with chakra. Rope like structures began to form from the sphere of water. Then, it swiftly moved towards the terrified Kiri nin and binded him around his wrists and ankles.

"Take it! Take it! Take the scroll!!!" he shouted as if he was almost crying.

Upon saying that, one of the rope like structures reached out into his pouch and wrapped around the scroll. It returned back to Tsuruko and he retrieved it. Finally, a 'Sky' scroll. All the water dispersed and fell towards gravity with a splash.

Tsuruko then faced his comrades. "Yuichi-san, Masaki-san. Let's go."

And they disappeared, leaving their injured opponents behind them.

**~oO****0****Oo~**

The wind battered in their faces as they quickly headed towards the tower. Masaki chatted excitedly about what had happened earlier with Yuichi smiling at what he said.

"Great job back there, Tsuruko-san," Masaki said with a grin. "We finally got a set of scrolls. Now all we got to do is get to the tower."

"Why were you so sure that they have the 'Sky' scroll?" Yuichi asked with much curiosity. That was indeed a surprising thing and he kept wondering how Tsuruko did that.

"If they didn't need the 'Earth' scroll, why would they try to take it?" he replied monotonously.

"Oh..." Yuichi said. "_I never thought of that._"

Masaki then recalled the weird jutsu that Tsuruko performed earlier. They were actually more curious about that. They never knew that he mastered any water jutsu before. Not even after being in the same team for two years. The weirdest thing was, the water from another person's jutsu seemed to be under his command...As if it was...litsening to him...

"By the way, you seem to be controlling water back there. How did..."

Tsuruko stopped in his tracks before Masaki could even finish his question.

"Why are we stopping?"

Tsuruko did not seem to listen and he placed both his palms on the floor. They were puzzled by his actions but then, the ground began to rumble.

**~oO0Oo~**

The Kirigakure genins were helping each other to stand on their feet when they suddenly felt the ground shake.

"What the..."

Then they saw a puddle of water suddenly forming into spikes...

**~oO0Oo~**

The rumbling stopped. Soon after that, Yuichi and Masaki heard a bloodcurdling scream from where they were earlier. They turned back to take a look and the sight made their hair stand on end.

There were large spiky structures that arose from the ground and blood was trickling down from the end. They saw a bloody Kirigakure headband clamped between two of the structures. It must be the team they fought earlier...They are dead. And they were very sure who did it.

"You seen nothing, you heard nothing," Tsuruko said in an angry, cold voice. He looked back at them with a threatening aura. "Or you'll end up like them."

Their hearts were gripped by fear and it stopped beating for a moment when they heard Tsuruko's threat. _This was not the Tsuruko they were with for the past two years...or could it be that this was the true him?_ A side that they never seen before. _Could it be that they had someone as dangerous as Gaara in their team all along and they never knew it?_ Whatever it is, they really have to watch their backs this time. From their enemies and also their own team-mate...

* * *

**Well, how was it? Now you all know that Tsuruko can somehow control water (Secret#1). _How?_ you ask. You'll find out someday...A mystery in a mystery...hehehe...Please review! It keeps me going!**

**Sneak peak: Secret #2 will be revealed in the next chapter.(^v^)**


End file.
